Lighted Chalice Weekly for Dec 20, 2013

15 DECEMBER 2013 CONGREGATIONAL MEETING RESULTS
Board President Mark VanMeeter opened the meeting after distributing copies of the proposed budget and the minutes from the last congregational meeting. Mark provided a detailed overview of the budget. With the current level of pledges and non-pledge income projected there will be a short fall in revenue for 2014. The estimated $6357.00 would have to come from the remaining capital funds. A motion to operate under an interim budget until late January opened further discussion.

The discussion led to suggestions for generating non-pledge revenue:

Form a group to generate ideas for increasing non-pledge and building use revenue. Mark agreed to be the point person and Beth Misner agreed to be on the committee.

There will be a brainstorming session in mid-January exploring revenue sources.

There will be a congregational meeting in late January, tentatively scheduled for January 26, to approve the revised budget

Motion was made to defer the vote on the budget until the congregational meeting Sunday, January 26. Motion carried. Mark VanMeeter, President, Board of Trustees

Dorothy Hughes, Board Secretary

DECEMBER 21 6PM SOLSTICE SERVICEPlease join us in the Fellowship Hall from 6-7:30 pm on Saturday, December 21 for our annual Winter Solstice Service. Kirsten Reynolds, Rae Schnapp, Rachel Smith, Kalina Harden, Janice Thiel, and friends will lead us in an intimate, family-friendly evening with singing and short readings honoring the return of light. Come join us in this pagan-style service. Fellowship, sharing of light refreshments, and a bonfire will follow!

DECEMBER 22 SUNDAY MORNING FORUM
Previously scheduled Forum on “Tour the Town on the Trolley” will be rescheduled for a future date. This Sunday’s Forum topic to be arranged, possibly a Bill Moyers video. Forum Co-chairs are Jim Anderson, Tom McConville, and Bill Welge.

DECEMBER 22 SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE
Rev. Daniel Charles Davis presents “HumanLight.” HumanLight is a festival created by the New Jersey Humanist Network in 2001. It was celebrated at over 20 locations last year including 5 UU congregations. Worship Associate is Dianna Poindexter. Choir Director & Pianist is Shellie Johnson. Fellowship Team Leader is Susanne McConville. Sanctuary Preparation is by Robin Poindexter . Sound Technician is Carl Seese.

DECEMBER 24, 6PM CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE
Please join us in the sanctuary at 6pm on Tuesday evening, December 24 for a special candlelight service with Rev. Charlie Davis. Special music written by Michael Lewis, Driftless, will be premiered—a duet sung by Julia Colby and Shellie Johnson, accompanied by , Elena Escudero on cello, Michael Lewis on guitar and Denise Wilson on Irish flute.

DECEMBER 29 SUNDAY MORNING FORUM
Joel Ebarb, Associate Professor and Chair, Purdue University Department of Theatre, presents “Behind the Scenes at Purdue Theatre.” Joel is a theatre “maker.” His costume design credits include a myriad of productions in a variety of venues, including Jean Cocteau Repertory (Off- Broadway), Eclipse Theatre Company and Vittum Theatre (Chicago), Indiana Repertory Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, and ShadowApe Theatre Company (Indianapolis), Boarshead Theatre (Lansing, Michigan), Stages Repertory Theatre (Houston), and twenty-two seasons with the Texas Shakespeare Festival. As a playwright, four of his plays for young audiences have been produced at Texas Shakespeare Festival: The Firebird, Hansel and Gretel, The Snow Queen, and Aesop’s Fables, which he also directed. Joel is an accomplished puppeteer, occasional director, and novice actor. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Joel has a B.A. in English from Northwestern State University of Louisiana and an M.F.A. in Theatre from the University of Houston, where he served as a production intern with Houston Ballet. He was a 2011 recipient of the Charles B. Murphy Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, Purdue University’s highest undergraduate teaching honor. His research and teaching specialties are the history and development of period and regional style and adornment in Western civilization. Joel and his partner Michael Wallace live in West Lafayette. Forum Co-chairs are Jim Anderson, Tom McConville, and Bill Welge.

DECEMBER 29 SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE FOR ALL AGES
Worship Leader Janice Thiel, topic to be determined. Pianist is Yue Jiang. Fellowship Team Leaders are Linda and Joshua Prokopy. Sanctuary Preparation tbd. Sound Technician is Noemi Ybarra. No Religious Exploration today.

CHILD AND YOUTH RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION

December 22- Everyone starts out together in the sanctuary. After time for all ages, kids and teacher head to their regular classrooms for attendance, etc. At app. 11 am, classes move to the fellowship hall for holiday crafts from diverse traditions. Special shout out Sunday morning to Kathy Coder (DRE for the day) Gale Charlotte (time for all ages), Elizabeth Lincourt, and Rae Schnapp (coordinating the crafts)

December 29- Holiday Break, NO RE today

RE Has Volunteer Opportunities for the Spring!

Classroom guides help create the structure for their 1-4th grade class. They begin each period leading the chalice lighting, an optional check-in, and lighting the chalice. They share a short biography of a notable UU and introduce the workshop teacher. After that, they are on hand to help as needed to help out with the workshop. Guide teams for each class work out a schedule on a rotating basis, optimally serving about once per month. Right now, we could use one extra guide in the 1st-2nd grade class. We also need 2-3 helpers for the middle school classroom to be a second adult presence in the room each week.

Workshop rotation teachers share a passion or something they have knowledge about with our 1st-4th graders. Optimally, teachers will volunteer for three weeks, rotating between the three classes (1st- 2nd grades meet together).

Special Projects: *Clean, re-organize, and help inventory our supplies in the r.e. closets and classrooms *Create Spirit Play story baskets for the preschool room *drive and/or chaperon youth for overnight lock-ins and events sponsored by the district

Please contact Sheila (dresheila@gmail.com) or a member of the r.e. council (Kathy Coder, Cheryl Fowler, Frank Arnold, Beth Hoffmann, Kirsten Reynolds or Rae Schnapp) if you are interested in helping in any of these areas, or if you have something else that you would like to help out in with R.E.

FINANCE COMMITTEE will be meeting on January 7, 2014, in Room 104 at 6pm. The final, revised budget to be voted on at the 26 January Congregational Meeting will be the topic of discussion. Congregants are welcome to attend this meeting.

UU MEMBERSHIP CLASSES: Learn about our rotating membership classes; next class is “UU History” on January 5. Learn more here…

TALK AND TOUR, SECOND SUNDAYS AFTER SERVICE
Please join us immediately following service each 2nd Sunday for “Talk and Tour,” next on January 12. This 15 minute guided walk through the building is designed to familiarize newcomers with our congregation and facilities. Participants do not need to sign up in advance—simply gather at the Newcomers Table outside the Fellowship Hall at 11:45. Thanks!

THE SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
There is much to be done in the social justice arena; if you are interested in becoming involved in our activities, please join us at our next meeting, Thursday, January 9 at 7:00 pm in room 101-103. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas, contact co-chairs Tom McConville, tmcconville1200@comcast.net or Joan Marshall, jmarshal900@yahoo.com.

CHANGE FOR CHANGE: The theme for Change for Change in 2013 is “Social Justice and Climate Change.” Our November and December recipient of C4C is NICHES, “Northern Indiana Citizens Helping Ecosystems Survive.” Read more…

STEWARDSHIP 2014: ABUNDANT HEARTS, ABUNDANT LIVING
As of November 19, we have collected 61 pledges, from approximately 30% of our membership, for a total of $156,649. Please return your pledge cards for this year’s stewardship campaign! Learn more…

PLANNED GIVING AT UUC
It is often difficult to think about planning for death, but it is one of those things that makes life easier for friends and family dealing with an emotional time. If you would like to include UUC in your will or living trust, please use our full legal name, Unitarian Universalist Church. Your attorney may find the following language helpful:

I hearby give, devise and bequeath $____________ (a dollar amount, percentage, remainder) of my estate to the Unitarian Universalist Church. Now or formerly at 333 Meridian, West Lafayette, Indiana, for its general purposes.

The IRS recognizes the Unitarian Universalist Church as a tax-exempt not-for-profit organization. Our federal tax ID number is 35-6023509.

UU CHURCH OUTDOOR GROUP WINTER ACTIVITIES!

Boxing Day Hike – Every year on the day after Christmas, the Delphi Canal Center hosts a hike/tour from the museum to the spectacular High Bridge (a railroad bridge spanning the gorge over Deer Creek. December 26 at 1pm. Please contact Rae Schnapp at 765-714-4829 if you plan to attend.

Eagle Viewing Trip – The hot water discharged by the Duke Energy power plant in Cayuga provides a year-round feeding ground for eagles. On Sunday, January 26 Duke opens its doors to visitors for its annual Eagle Viewing Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will carpool to Cayuga after church that day. Please contact Rae Schnapp at 765-714-4829 if you plan to attend.

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
Newsletter articles are due the 3rd Thursday of each month, next December 19 for the last week of the month’s issue of the “Lighted Chalice.” Although we have switched to a weekly “Lighted Chalice” newsletter, the last week’s newsletter distributed on Sundays with the Order of Service will still be the largest newsletter of the month, with set deadlines. If you have a major “Big Rock” event coming up, please announce it as soon as possible at Program Council, which approves events so that the optimal number of people will be aware the schedule.